By admin 
Todd Monken and the Cleveland Browns came into the 2026 NFL season with real hope their run game would finally click. Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, both entering their second years, were set to anchor that backfield behind Deshaun Watson, and Sampson flashed real promise as a rookie.
Read more Cowboys vs. Giants: Three Bold Predictions for Sunday Night’s NFC East Battle
After Cleveland’s rushing attack sputtered through 2025, fixing that unit sat near the top of Monken’s priority list heading into a Week 1 matchup against Liam Coen and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Week 1 against the Jaguars has brought a rough start instead of the breakthrough Monken was hoping for. Cleveland’s offense hasn’t found any rhythm, Watson has struggled to get comfortable early, and the Browns trailed 14-0 after the first quarter with an interception already on his stat line.
Now Cleveland is dealing with an injury issue in the backfield, too. The Browns have ruled Sampson out for the rest of the game with a knee injury.
He headed to the medical tent after Cleveland’s opening series and was taken to the locker room shortly after, leaving the Browns to finish the afternoon against Coen and the Jaguars without him.
Injury Update | RB Dylan Sampson has been downgraded to out https://t.co/FVJloMo9wU
Read more Final Patrick Mahomes Update Emerges Before Broncos Game
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 13, 2026
Losing Sampson, even for a game, is a real blow to a backfield that leaned on him as a rookie and was counting on a bigger step in Year 2 alongside Judkins.
Sampson arrived in Cleveland as a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee, the 126th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. He appeared in 15 games as a rookie, starting twice, and finished with 65 carries for 175 yards to go with 33 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns.
That role traced back to college, where he ran for 2,492 yards and 35 touchdowns on 422 carries at Tennessee.
Dylan Sampson’s status will be a crucial update to monitor ahead of the Browns’ Week 2 trip to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 20.
Read more Glen Davis explained why NBA divorce rates spike following player retirement
Related: Deion Sanders Shares Personal Wish for Shedeur After Browns’ QB Move
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 11:00 AM.